Supergirl movie in the works at DC and Warner Bros

Melissa Benoist plays Supergirl in the TV series. Photo / Supplied

Supergirl is getting her own movie.

Warner Bros has announced Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El will headline her own film as part of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), the same canon as Wonder Woman, Justice League and the upcoming Aquaman.

The movie is still in the early stages with writer Oren Uziel attached to pen the script, according to Deadline. Uziel is best known for writing 22 Jump Street and The Cloverfield Paradox, and also has the Sonic the Hedgehog adaptation and a new Mortal Kombat flick on his books.

No actors, producers or director have yet been announced.

It's not the first Supergirl to grace our screens. DC currently has a Supergirl TV show, which airs in Australia on Fox8, heading into its fourth season and starring Melissa Benoist in the title role. Supergirl was also previously a movie in 1984 with Helen Slater donning the tights and cape — Slater has made a cameo appearance in the Supergirl TV show.

Supergirl first appeared on the page in Action Comics 252 in 1959.

As with other DCEU movies, Supergirl will exist in a separate continuity universe to the TV shows, which also includes The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, like how Ezra Miller plays Barry Allen/Flash in the DC movies but Grant Gustin does the same in the DC TV shows.

Warner Bros will be hoping the Supergirl movie will capitalise on the popularity and box office success of Wonder Woman, the best received instalment in an otherwise problematic franchise.

Unlike rival Marvel, DC has had mixed successes with its releases — Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman, Justice League, Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman — with the movies either not making enough money to claw back its considerable production and marketing budgets, or has come in for a critical ravaging. Wonder Woman is the only exception.

Behind the scenes, the division has also been racked with chaos and staff turnover — eight months earlier, Walter Hamada was promoted by Warner Bros' head of comic book movies, replacing Jon Berg and Geoff Johns after the box office and critical failure of Justice League.

The next DCEU release will be Aquaman in December, followed by Shazam! in April 2019 and Wonder Woman 1984 in November 2019.

Other movies in various stages of production include films centred on Joker, Batgirl, Nightwing, Deadshot, Birds of Prey and New Gods.